Embracing Sicily Tour

Tour Features

Sicily, the biggest island in the Mediterranean, is a melting pot of cultures, where Greek and Asian influences can be found in the architecture, in the ancient ruins from different civilizations, and in the unique cuisine; a land where the earth spills fire from ancient volcanoes and the sun warms the emerald waters of the Mediterranean sea; a region of archaeological wonders, marvelous baroque towns and rich, ancient traditions. But Sicily is not only a place of extraordinary monuments, enchantingly beautiful scenery and beautiful towns, it is also a land that offers an incredible variety of excellent vintages, ancient cellars and vineyards, typical dishes and traditional foods rediscovered in their original style.

Ciao Tours will guarantee the exchange rate at the time of full payment or 45 days prior to departure.

What's Included

7 nights 4 Star hotels

City taxes

Breakfast Buffet Daily

7 meals based on traditional regional dishes

1 wine tasting at a local cellar in Marsala

1 cooking lesson in Corleone

1 Mafia lecture in Corleone

Touring by air-conditioned motor-coach or minivan accordingly to the number of participants

Professional English speaking tour director

Sightseeing as indicated, including local guides (Taormina, Siracusa, Agrigento, Palermo)

Excursion to Mount Etna till 1800 meters

Headsets during the whole tour

Porterage in/out in hotels

VAT

What's Not Included

Air flights, transfers in and out, beverages during meals, entrance fees, travel insurance, tips, and anything not specifically mentioned in “What’s Included”.

Daily Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival

Arrival at Palermo airport and transfer to your hotel in Palermo on your own. Meeting with the participants. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Meal Included: Dinner

Day 2 - palermo, corleone, ficuzza, palermo

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and enjoy this special day dedicated to one of the most famous social phenomena in Sicily. We will depart in the morning to the inland of Sicily and specifically to the area of Corleone, known for being the place where Mafia phenomena was born but also know nowadays for being the place where Mafia is firmly fought. We will firstly participate to an interesting and accurate cooking lesson: we will be able to prepare some of the most genuine and traditional Sicilian dishes. After the cooking lesson, enjoy this special lunch. After lunch, we will experience an interesting lecture on Mafia. One of the inhabitants of Corleone, born in the UK, will present a fascinating discussion on the topic of the Sicilian Mafia but also explaining the origins and the way how Corleone inhabitants has taken to eliminate organized crime. Back to Palermo.

Meals Included: Buffet Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 - palermo, monreale

Buffet breakfast then enjoy a morning tour of Palermo, a city full of character, features Quattro Canti – a splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral, and the famous Benedictine Abbey of Monreale. Here you will admire a 12th century cathedral, housing very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments. Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or take an optional tour with your tour director to the picturesque fishing village of Cefalù. In the evening, enjoy a festive dinner with delectable cuisine and sparkling in a fashionable restaurant.

Meals Included: Buffet Breakfast & Dinner

Day 4 -palermo, segesta, marsala, trapani

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and journey to Segesta, a large archaeological zone, with a magnificent Doric Temple, 420 B.C to 430 B.C., located within a beautiful and natural setting that ranks as one of the best-preserved Greek architectural sites. Continue to the sea town of Marsala, re-discovered in the 18th century by English merchant John Woodhouse and known for its sweet wines. Visit a wine cellar and sample some Marsala during a special wine tasting session. Drive along Trapani’s coastline and stop for a special Sicilian lunch in a restaurant and return to Palermo. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at hotel.

Meals Included: Buffet Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Day 5 - palermo, agrigento, taormina

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and depart for Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a guided tour of the valley, dating back to the 5th century B.C. The poet Pindar described the site “as the most beautiful city built by mortal men”, The Doric style temples, all constructed within a century, face east, a standard criteria for both Greek and Roman temples so the statue of the god housed in each temple faced the rising sun. The best temple is that of Concordia (similar in design to the Partenon in Athens) which is an almost perfectly preserved condition. Your local guide will highlight the history and architecture of Concordia and of the other temples that are part of this archaeological treasure-trove. After visiting the Valley of the Temples, resume travel to Taormina, where you arrive in the evening in time for an enjoyable and relaxing dinner at your hotel.

Meals Included: Buffet Breakfast & Dinner

Day 6 - taormina, mount etna, taormina

Buffet breakfast at hotel and morning walking tour of Taormina’s charming city center includes the Greek/Roman amphitheater, with its spectacular view of Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Enjoy the excursion to Mount Etna, till 1800 meters and visit the Sylvester Craters where you can enjoy the best views, as you drive through the fertile slopes and villages that sit on ancient volcanic eruptions. On the way back to Taormina, we offer a once in a lifetime experience. You may take an optional “Godfather” tour featuring the authentic villages chosen by Francis Coppola for most of the scenes in the Godfather movies. This is a good way to explore the real untouched Sicilian countryside, local lifestyle and culture. Tonight you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many colorful restaurants of Taormina.

Meal Included: Buffet Breakfast

Day 7 - taormina, siracusa

Buffet breakfast at your hotel and experience an included excursion to Syracuse. A guided tour of this venerable city highlights the Archaeological Park, Greek Theater, Latomia del Paradiso and Cave of Dyonisius’ Ear. This evening savor a special Sicilian dinner with wine in a restaurant characteristic of this region.

Meals Included: Buffet Breakfast & Dinner

Day 8 - Departure

After breakfast, free time. Conclusion of tour.

Meal Included: Buffet Breakfast

Didi Nota Italian Tour Manager

Chiama Oggi! (Call Today) For more information on our Tours of Italy, or to book one of our Escorted Tours, Custom Tours, and/or Private Tours, call us today at 1 (877) 444-CIAO (2426) to speak to one of our tour designers or email us at info@ciaotours.com for a no obligation proposal that will be delivered to you in 24 hours!

Privacy Preferences

Ciao Tours uses Google services to enhance our website. These services may store information through your browser, usually in the form of cookies. Here you can change your Privacy preferences. Blocking some services may impact the appearance and functionality of our website. You may change these settings at any time.

Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking code.

Click to enable/disable Google Fonts.

Click to enable/disable Google Maps.

Like most websites, Ciao Tours uses cookies, mainly from 3rd party services. Define your Privacy Preferences and/or agree to our use of cookies.